


Two to Tango

by Thomaddicted



Series: Sterek Valentines Week 2021 [6]
Category: Sterek - Fandom, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:02:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29443047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thomaddicted/pseuds/Thomaddicted
Summary: Stiles Stilinski loves two things, Dancing, and Derek.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: Sterek Valentines Week 2021 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2150535
Comments: 12
Kudos: 25
Collections: Sterek Valentine Week





	Two to Tango

**Author's Note:**

> Sixth in the series for Sterek Valentine Week, 2021
> 
> Prompt: Passion  
> Rating: PG13 (Adult situations, Language)

Stiles loves the way it feels to be in Derek's arms. 

It's been like this for twenty years now, which, may not be something other people understand, but other people don't matter, only Derek does. 

Ten years ago, when Stiles was lost in his own life, he made a choice to take dance as an elective in high school. He could have done sports like his best friend, Scott, but Stiles knew that wouldn't make him happy. 

When Stiles was 6, his mother passed away, and Stiles would spend the next 7 years of his life taking care of his father, making sure the man ate well, despite his heavy drinking. Stiles made the food, did the laundry, cleaned the house, and did everything he could to make his dad's life easier. 

One day, when he was cleaning, Stiles had the TV on, and it was on one of those old movie channels that his mom used to love watching. Stiles never liked the old movies, cause they looked weird and silly, but right now, there is an explosion of color and sound on there. There are people dancing in a huge red room, wearing brightly colored clothes, and there is shouting and cheering and people yelling "MAMBO!" MAMBO!" 

Stiles is transfixed, and winds up vacuuming the same spot on the carpet for ten minutes while he gets sucked into the world of the movie. 

The dancing is frantic, and heartstopping in some places. There are people dancing the same, and dancing differently, in couples and by themselves. As the dance goes on, two people see each other from across the room, and the movie goes fuzzy, and Stiles watches as the people get close to each other, and they smile. Then, they dance, in their own little world, and Stiles falls in love then, wondering if that's how it happens.

Stiles walks into the dance class, and on his first day, his life changes. In addition to falling in love with dance, Stiles meets Derek Hale. He spots the boy from across the room, and for a moment, Stiles feels like the whole room goes a little fuzzy. The other boy smiles at Stiles, and shows off a very cute smile, with two front teeth that push out slightly in the front of the boy's mouth. The two teens gravitate to each other quickly. Stiles is sure he's in love before the boy tells Stiles his name, and the first class is over. 

Lucky for Stiles, as he will learn, Derek felt the same. 

Stiles holds on to Derek. Their bodies move back and forth. The feeling of the floor beneath Stiles' feet is solid, and amazing. Stiles is sure this is what Heaven feels like, and Derek leads them back and forth, side to side. Derek pulls slightly, and Stiles follows, his feet moving across the floor. Short quick steps that play chase with Derek's feet. Light touches on their shoulders, and the kind of cat and mouse element that seems to define their love for each other. It all started so innocently, long ago.

Stiles is fifteen, and Derek is sixteen. They are attempting their first tango together. After weeks of pulling together choreography, after countless afterschool practices together, the dance feels finished. It's just something that they started doing for fun. It almost began as a joke when Lydia Martin suggested that the guys DO in fact, make a great couple, after being teased mercilessly by some dickhead student that couldn't keep his homophobic comments to himself. It earned him a solid sock in the jaw from Lydia. Oddly enough, despite a crowd of onlookers, nobody saw a thing.

The idea was to do the dance as a thank you for Lydia, at her birthday party, but it wasn't ready in time. Now, for her sweet 16 party, the dance is ready, only, so are Derek and Stiles. 

Stiles shivers as Derek's hands close in on Stiles' arms. Draping over Derek, Stiles lets himself be led, keeping his weight lightly balanced, so Derek can move him. Stiles is an active partner, making sure the place his body where Derek can guide him, and also where he can hold Derek. 

Derek, in turn, guides Stiles, carefully, supporting his best friend, and his lover. Stiles knows he can trust Derek, and Derek has trusted Stiles with so much of his own life. There is grace in every movement, passion in even the lightest touch. Derek never ceases to feel his breath get taken away any time Stiles lays so much as a finger on his frame. 

There's a moment where the dance becomes them, and they become the dance. This is their communion to each other. Derek bows a leg slightly, and Stiles lets his right leg slip around it, left leg fully supporting his body, as the right leg wraps around Derek's, before coming back through. It makes them smile, so Stiles does it again with deliberate sensuality. 

At Lydia's party, dressed in all black, the boys put on a show. Their movements are perfectly fluid. The moves are a bit cleaner, and they dance with passion, even if they are fully clothed, several people gasp and clutch their pearls. Some in scandal, others in appreciation of this display of passion. One person leans in to John Stilinski, and mutters "Hate to be that kid's dad." 

John looks at the man coldly, steel in his ice blue eyes. "Hello. I'm his father." John growls. "And THAT," John quietly points to Stiles, "Is the greatest thing you will ever see in your lifetime. So shut up, or GET. OUT." 

Stiles moves quietly across the floor. The light in the room picks up all the best parts of Derek. The glint of emerald in his eyes, the irises wide and dark as they lock into Stiles' own eyes. Derek's stubble is a little long, and Stiles grins at the few strands of white that are coming in now. Stiles remembers a time when Derek was young and beardless and never had to shave. His smile is the same, though Derek's eyes have little lines outside the eyes from years of smiling together, laughing together, worrying together. 

Stiles had worried himself. When he was 14 and realized he was gay, he didn't know how his dad would take it, and a year later, when Derek and he started dating, Stiles hid it from his dad. John Stilinski, however, was a Sheriff, and an observant man, and oddly enough, NOT confrontational when it came to his only son. 

One day, when Stiles was downstairs watching an old movie, John came downstairs and sat down, watching it with him. After about twenty minutes, John looked at Stiles and said, "You know I love you, don't you Stiles?" 

Stiles looked at his dad, nervously. "I know." Stiles replied. 

"You know, there's nothing you can say that would make me stop loving you." John looked at Stiles. "You're my son." 

Stiles looked at the TV, and nodded. "I know." 

"Good." John nodded, and got up from the armchair he had been sitting in. He walked behind Stiles, seated on the couch and leaned down, planting a kiss on the top of his son's head. "I just really need you to know that." 

"I can't believe they aren't going to let us dance." Stiles pouted. It is his and Derek's senior year in high school, and Stiles is furious. Their final dance concert is coming up and Derek and Stiles want to dance together, which they've done the last two shows, only this time, they want to dance TOGETHER, as in Tango. They spent the entire summer in Stiles' backyard rehearsing a tango so devastating that they're sure it would change the world. 

The administration, however, is not having it. The instructor, and advisor, Miss Martin is livid that the school would censure a performance like this. "It's outrageous!" She declares. Like her daughter, Lydia, Natalie Martin is a huge fan of Stiles and Derek, and their dancing. 

"This is preposterous." She huffs. 

"It is their call," John said, exhausted. He'd been in three times to try and persuade the school board, but they adamantly refused to let Derek and Stiles dance together. "They don't object to the Tango, they object to two boys," John clears his throat, and regards both 18 years olds, "Excuse me, young men, doing the dance together." 

"That's utter bullshit." Stiles curses, earning a quick, "Language." warning from his father. 

"It really is." Derek seconds, "I mean, what are they afraid of, huh?" 

John sighs a heavy sigh. "They're afraid the two of you dancing might be a... ummm, undue influence, on younger, more impressionable, students." 

Stiles groaned. "It's not like we're drafting people into the military." 

Derek nodded. "Besides, there are lots of queer students at the school. When we started we were the only ones, now, there's at least a couple dozen that are more comfortable being out." 

"Representation matters." Stiles says, strongly, slamming one fist into his other cupped hand. "If we leave nothing at this school, then I'm proud if we leave that." 

John looks at his son, so young still, but so aware. He is proud that his son cares about this so much. 

"But what can we do?" Lydia asks. 

Derek comes up with the idea. The administration declared they cannot perform the dance in the school auditorium, or on the school grounds. 

Performing it Downtown, in the street, livestreamed on cameras to social media that the whole school will wind up watching. 

No. No rules against that. 

Stiles picks the Tango from Moulin Rouge, something stronger than what they intended. 

They pick a storefront for a cafe that Natalie knows, and gets clearance for the boys to dance in front of, and Lydia and her best friend Allison film. John arranges for some off duty officers to be on hand in case anyone decides to give anyone shit. 

Stiles feels like he's on fire. The look in Derek's eyes is giving him fuel. They've danced together for four years, and this feels like the most important thing they will ever do, somehow. 

Derek holds Stiles like a pro, guiding and steering Stiles through some of the most daring and complicated choreography they've ever attempted. The stakes are high. They are performing on concrete. One slip and it's Stiles' head into the street. Stiles is limber, he is not afraid. He trusts Derek with his very life. In every touch, in every phrase of movement, Stiles feels Derek's commitment to him, to them, to their dancing, to their love.

Their movements are strong, fluid. People stop in the street, and shop owners step out into the night air to watch. 

The crowd is mostly their friends, but they can still hear some people deliver homophobic shouts, hurling them at the couple like bolts of lightning. Every time it happens, the crowd of supporters whistle louder, clap harder, do what they can to drown them out. 

The only thing Stiles can hear is the blood rushing in his ears. He hears the music, knows every note. Knows where every flick of his foot needs to land, knows Derek's arms are there for him, to hold him, lift him, are there for Stiles to land into. This is love in it's purest expression. Derek commands the floor with Stiles, and is solid as a rock for his partner, his mate. He lifts Stiles without fear, with total confidence. Stiles responds with the cleanest, clearest performance he's ever given. 

Back and forth, back and forth. Stiles loves these little moments. They give and take, push and pull. This is the greatest feeling Stiles knows. Derek lifts Stiles off the ground, spinning him around. Stiles is rapturous with joy. He could go on like this forever, a never ending dance of joy, of love, of bliss, of true passion.

**Author's Note:**

> A mentor of mine once told me, "Writing about dance, is like dancing about architecture." Truly a visual medium, please enjoy these routines that inspired this particular chapter. 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl32I2CTzKs  
> A long scene, but well worth the watch, if you've never seen this movie, and like dancing, then you really don't get better than "West Side Story". 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDxHxxsOB6s  
> Their first Tango where they perform for Lydia.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6-6kN79oIA  
> The Tango Protest.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onynuHmBUmQ  
> The dance that is the framework of the story.


End file.
